October 7, 2004

The human body is a machine fuelled by water. Saleema Gulzar writes about the importance of drinking adequate amounts of it

Completely engrossed in meeting the deadline of an assignment, I didn't even get time to drink water. The same schedule continued for a couple of days, and on an average I consumed only two glasses of water per day. By the end of the week I developed urinary infection. I was not able to understand the cause of it and had to consult a doctor. He strongly advised me to consume lots of water, at least ten glasses a day.

Benefits of water and its positive impact on health have been amply proved by scientific research. Between 75 and 80 per cent of our body’s weight comprises of water. To keep the body functioning well, we need to drink at least ten glasses of fresh water per day. Acne problem, back pain and high blood pressure can be alleviated and taken care off by regulating the body's normal fluid levels.

Drinking an appropriate amount of water helps our body to reverse several minor infections and illnesses. Thus fluids are considered our natural resistance builders and make us less vulnerable to diseases. After consuming the required amount of water, one does feel a change in the level of functioning and freshness.

Water also affects our skin. Many teenagers complain about pimples on the face. Acne is not only troublesome but lowers their self-esteem also. Consuming enough water usually resolves this issue in a few days. It also gives a glow to the skin. In fact, it makes one's personality attractive.

People often complain about backache, which hinders their productivity. Sometimes, backpain is the result of deficiency in body fluid levels. Our backbone is made up of discs. The outer shell of these discs contains water. A well-hydrated outer shell acts like a cushion that supports the weight of the upper body and minimizes the strain of physical activity. When these discs become deficient in water content, the load on each disc increases, causing pain and swelling.

Moreover, activities like standing, sitting behind a desk without regular movement create constant pressure on the backbone discs, which gradually force water out of them. Without an adequate amount of fluid level the pressure on the disc increases consequently causing pain and rigidity.

Simply maintaining a constant and adequate water intake combined with regular movement such as bending the head and upper body forward and backwards to enable the discs to hydrate will successfully prevent most types of neck and back pains.

Hypertension, widely known as the silent killer, is often a result of the body adjusting to blood volume loss. According to Dr Batmanghelidj, an expert on natural and preventive treatments, "The most common cause of lower blood volume is dehydration." When the body detects a loss of blood volume, it closes off less active capillary beds in order to maintain proper blood flow to the more active areas. Closing of these vessels causes a rise in tension inside the muscle mass, which is known as high blood pressure.

Thus proper intake of water allows proper blood volume and less tension in the body. Therefore, one needs to ensure an appropriate consumption of fluids at all times in order to prevent this common life-threatening disease.

It is important to remember that the human body is a machine fuelled by water, and that by simply providing our body with the appropriate amount of water we can achieve a high level of health and well-being. One of the best strategies to overcome the hurdle of paucity of time is to keep a bottle of water at hand.

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